


Christmas Shopping

by godseph



Series: 12 Days of Final Fantasy [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Christmas fic, Cloud is Oblivious, Kind of fluffy, Multi, cloud has a crush on reno and sephiroth, reno flirts with cloud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godseph/pseuds/godseph
Summary: the first of 12 Christmas themed ficlets! there's no guideline I'm going off of, this is all just for fun really.Cloud struggles with the idea of going Christmas shopping for his friends and his friend's child. While heading to the mall on topside's Sector 5, he runs into a certain redheaded turk.
Relationships: Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart, Reno/Cloud Strife
Series: 12 Days of Final Fantasy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053293
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Christmas Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> i do not own anyone or anything from Square Enix. This work is not for profit.

Cloud didn't celebrate the holidays anymore. He stopped about five or so years ago, after the events of Nibelheim. Ever since then, he had spent the holidays alone, only ever going out when Tifa and Aerith asked him to. It was rare that they did. He never decorated, in favor of sitting on his couch with a beer in his left hand, his right hand gripping his head. It became a tradition at some point.

Everyone around him celebrated on the days leading up to Christmas—something about the 12 days of Christmas-while he tried his best to get his memories back. He sat on his couch, his limbs sprawled across the cushions of the loveseat. He could barely remember his mother's face, the smile that she got around this time of year. A buzzing noise snapped him out of his trance. He snatched his phone from his pants pocket and eyed the caller I.D. He swiped his thumb along with the green icon.

"Tifa?"

"Hey there, soldier." She had a mischievous tone to her voice, the one she got whenever she was planning something.

"What are you planning this time?" He sighed, his hand moving from his forehead to his face. 

"Well..." She trailed off, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"Well, what?"

"I was doing a little thinking as I was cleaning the bar earlier, and I had the greatest idea."

"Spill."

"I know you don't like the holidays, or celebrating, or parties in general, but I was wondering if you'd maybe want to come over for Christmas? It won't be just us; I invited Barret and Marlene, Aerith of course, and a few others that I think you'll be happy to see." She explained, her excitement thick in the air. Cloud could almost see it through the phone.

"I dunno Teefs, it sounds nice and all-" Tifa cut him off before he could continue.

"Great, so you'll be there? Reno is going to be so happy!" Cloud's heart dropped. Reno? 

"Tifa, wait-!" A soft dial tone hit his ears before he could say anything else. He sighed, frustration filling his veins. His right hand came off his face, and he took a sip of his beer. 'Now I have to go; otherwise, Tifa is gonna be upset...' A sharp, high-pitched sound came from his phone. He turned it on and checked his notifications, one from a specific redhead he had his eyes on for so long.

His text read, "See you under the mistletoe~." Cloud scoffed, a soft blush rising to his cheeks.

His thumbs moved before his brain could stop them, "In your dreams, loverboy."

He hit send and turned his phone on do not disturb, tossing it on the table aside from the couch. Standing from his position on the sofa, he wandered over to his kitchen and pondered on what he would be getting for his friends.

For Barret, it was easy. Cloud could get him a new weapon for his arm or some expensive sunglasses for the days he took Marlene to the park or out shopping. He patted himself down for a pen and paper, realizing that he would have to dig through his junk drawer to get some. So he did and scribbled "New arm-thing" in chicken scratch.

Tifa was also easy to shop for. She almost always wanted something for the bar, but Cloud decided that she needed something more personal. She never bought herself anything nowadays. He put down some ideas for her. Perfume, maybe some new shoes or a specific lipstick she liked. He put a few question marks next to the word 'lipstick', as he had never actually seen her put some on before. He sighed, shaking his head. 

As for Aerith, he was beyond lost. She never bought much for herself either, and she was so generous. He had come along on Aerith and Tifa's shopping dates as their pack chocobo, but he never knew whose bag was whose until they were back at the bar. Aerith was always seen with flowers, though, because that was her favorite thing. He remembered back to when they first met and the bloom she gave him. He thought that he would get her a type of materia that helped with gardening since that's what she loved most. "That would be too easy, wouldn't it? Maybe a new ribbon. No, no, Zack gave her that one." He murmured to himself, tapping his pen rhythmically on the countertop. He shrugged and scribbled down more ideas as they came so he could have some type of a list for when he went out. 

He turned around to check the time that was shown on the microwave in neon green numbers. 12:59. 'That should be just enough time,' He thought, tearing the list from the notepad. He slipped on some shoes, grabbed his wallet and keys, and slipped out the door with haste. After a few minutes of driving, he reached the nearest train station and hopped on, making his way to Sector 5. 

Upon his arrival, he marveled at how the buildings looked compared to the slums. Despite everything being Shinra made, he didn't mind the modernity of it all. Anything was better than the slums, he figured, but then again that's where his closest friends were, so it wasn't as bad as it sounded. He wandered for a bit, not only because he didn't want to admit that he was lost, but because he liked the scenery. He had only ever been on the plate at night due to their missions, but it was still pretty during the day. 

As he looked around and walked, he found himself walking face-first into someone else, who he could've mistaken was a wall with how solid they were. He stumbled back a bit, just about to apologize when he heard a familiar voice. 

"Christ, Strife, watch it would you?" 

Reno. 

" Says you, asshat. Are you made out of bricks or something? I think you just gave me a concussion." He snorted, shooting a playful glare at the man before him. Cloud dusted himself off, straightening out his shirt. When he felt satisfied, he looked back up at Reno, who stood there as though he were waiting for him. 

"Waiting for something?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at Reno. He took a second to take in Reno's appearance. He was dressed in a black v-neck long sleeve, with black skinny jeans and combat boots to match. His shirt dipped just low enough to see the top of his chest, leaving his collarbone beautifully exposed. He feared that if he stared any longer, he might have to take an ice-cold shower later on. 

"Yeah, you. I thought that was obvious." Reno stated, grabbing Cloud's arm and dragging him off in the opposite direction. 

"Wait for a second, asshole," Cloud wiggled free from Reno's grasp. "I have errands to run, and you're not about to get in the way of them." He turned and walked in the direction of the shopping mall, grabbing the list from his pocket and giving it a quick once-over. Reno caught up to his side, his ponytail swaying with each large and buoyant step he took. He peeked over Cloud's shoulder, eying the yellow paper in Cloud's bare hands. He smiled to himself when he realized what it was. His smile grew wider when he realized that Cloud was getting him something as well. He reached around the blonde, attempting to snatch the list from his hands. All he got was an elbow to the rib and a glare in return. 

They arrived at their destination with time to spare, and Cloud did not hesitate to drag Reno to each shop. In his mind, he saw it as some sort of torture for Reno, but in all reality, he knew Reno probably liked watching him marvel at all the items in each storefront. When they came across a jewelry shop, Cloud headed in and made a beeline for the earring section. He had seen Tifa wear these gorgeous teardrop-shaped earrings, he felt compelled to buy her another pair or two. 

Cloud approached the sales clerk and asked him what he would get for someone sporty and mature, but with a big heart. He was directed over to a glass table with a wide variety of small, colored studs and necklaces with single gemstones hanging from thin silver chains. His eyes wandered, flickering to whatever caught his eye. He didn't notice that Reno was leaning over him, eying a pair of garnet studs. 

" 'S'cuse me, I'd like to get these red studs, please." He pointed at the pair through the glass pane and called out to the clerk. She walked over and unlocked the glass doors behind the display case, picking up the earrings carefully and holding them up so Reno could see them easier. 

"These ones, sir?" 

"Yes ma'am." He smiled an award-winning smile at her and fished his wallet from his back pocket, walking with her over to the register. 

Cloud remained in his spot and rested his face on his hand. At this rate, he'd never get any of them a gift. He let out a sigh and turned to walk to another display case when his eyes caught sight of the most stunning pair of earrings he'd seen in his lifetime. Fire opal studs with white gold mounts, with a teardrop-shaped fire opal hanging off of a short-chain that was attached to the stud. 'They're perfect.' He thought and turned to make his way to a nearby clerk. 

"Hi, do you think you could get a pair of earrings out of a display case for me?" 

"Hm? Oh, sure thing. What pair?" 

"The white and gold ones, I'm not exactly sure what the stone is called." He led the clerk to the display case and pointed in the direction of the earrings. He grabbed his wallet from his front pocket and kept it in his hand, waiting for the clerk at the nearest register. 

"Alright, that'll be 6,000 Gil." The clerk smiled a small smile as she told him the total. He withheld a small, pained groan, but handed his debit card over. The clerk grabbed the box that the earrings came in and set them nicely inside. She handed the box to him and thanked him for his purchase. 

Reno returned at his side as he walked out of the jewelry shop. 

"Hey, wait for a second, kay? I got somethin' for ya," Reno told him and took out the earring that Cloud always wore. 

"What- hey, that's from my mom, don't take that out!" Cloud pulled away from Reno but stilled when the taller man grabbed his face gently with one hand. 

Reno's hands worked quickly to get the earring out and put it in Cloud's front pocket so he wouldn't lose it later. He grabbed one of the earrings he bought earlier, the garnet studs, and one into Cloud's ear as a replacement. 

"Just as I thought. Red is so your color, blondie." He marveled at how pretty Cloud looked with the new earring in. Slipping his phone from his pocket, he snapped a picture before the other man could make a fuss. 

"Ngh- Thanks..." He was slightly taken aback, a ruby red blush rose to his cheeks before he could force it back down. 

"C'mon, we still have a lot of shopping to do." Cloud tugged Reno along, grabbing his hand in the process. Being slick was never his forte. Reno chuckled and let it happen, just happy to be the one to hold Cloud's hand. 

They visited a materia shop, which wasn't too far from the Jewelry shop. Cloud picked out a materia that was specifically made for gardening and a new bracelet for Aerith to use the materia with. It was a nice, sturdy, stainless steel bracelet with engraved dahlias surrounding the materia slots. It wasn't nearly as pricey as Tifa's gift and he could hear his wallet thanking him. When he showed it to Reno, the man only nodded in approval. He wasn't sure how to take that, but he figured Aerith would like it anyway. 

Cloud and Reno both decided that their next destination would be Build-a-Moogle for Marlene. They picked out a pink Moogle and put it in an army vest with sunglasses that resembled Barret's. Cloud, when Reno wasn't looking, also got a Moogle for himself. A red one, equipped with a black and white suit and goggles on its forehead. He kept it hidden in the bag with Marlene's Moogle. 

Reno, unbeknownst to Cloud, had seen him purchase the red Moogle. It made his heart melt a little bit, and when the blond man was checking out he couldn't help but grab the hand that rested at his side and give it a soft squeeze. He watched his face turn a baby pink, suddenly stumbling over his words. They left the shop with their fingers interlocked. 

Cloud let Reno carry the bigger bags whilst he carried the smaller and more valuable items. He made his way over to a bench that sat against the railing of the walkway, taking a seat. His feet ached and so did his shoulder from the consistent weight of the jewelry. Reno sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulders, pulling Cloud to lay against his chest. Cloud leaned happily into him, sighing against his figure and slouching. 

"I need to go home soon, I'm really tired. Are you gonna leave as well?" Cloud asked, his question muffled slightly. 

"If you're leaving, then I guess I have no choice but to go with you. Dunno if you should drive if you're tired." 

"We walked here, remember? I live in the slums anyway, so I took the train to get up here." He told Reno, who hummed in response. He felt the vibrations against his face and he found that it felt funny. He wanted Reno to do it again. 

"Don't suppose you'd be against going to my place? It's closer, and you won't have to walk as far." Reno offered, and Cloud almost cried at the idea of sitting on a comfortable couch. The only response he got was a soft nod against his chest. The taller man hummed again in response and took Cloud into his arms, standing up and making his way towards the entrance of the shopping mall. Cloud chirped, suddenly roused from his tired state, but made no effort to escape. Instead, he clung to Reno like a magnet and kept an iron grip on the shopping bags in his hand. He was just glad Reno hadn't dropped the ones he was holding. 

When they escaped from the mall, at last, Reno kept Cloud in his arms all the way to his apartment complex, where he set Cloud down so they could enter the aforementioned complex and walk into the elevator. The interior of the elevator was all black, the floor was a nice black marble with white streaks through it. The lighting was fluorescent and Cloud found it to be calming. 

At the ding of the elevator, Cloud was hoisted into strong, comforting arms once more and carried into Reno's apartment. The inside was nice, similar to the elevator. The white and black-streaked tile contrasted against the matte black walls nicely. Reno had a nice view of Midgar from his living room, which had a huge window that took up most of the wall across from him. His furniture stuck out like a sore thumb, however. It was all cherry red, it made his eyes hurt. But he was set on the bright red couch and sighed at the feeling of something cushiony beneath him. He felt the couch dip when Reno lifted his legs and sat down, laying them in his lap. 

"Lookin' mighty comfortable there, princess." Reno smiled and patted the other's thigh, who in turn gave him a gentle slap on the arm. 

"Mind if I join you?" He asked, moving to lay down next to the younger man. Cloud gave no response, and so he laid a couple of inches away from him to give him some extra space. That was, until Cloud turned his body to face Reno, their noses just barely brushing. This whole time, it was the blondie who kept blushing, but it was the redhead's turn to blush. It only worsened when Cloud opened his pretty, mako-stained eyes and looked into Reno's teal ones. 

"Well hey there, gorgeous." Reno tried keeping his composure as he spoke, but the red on his face almost matched his hair. He made to grab Cloud's hand. 

"Hey, hot-shot." The shorter man responded, a soft smile gracing his lips. His eyes went to Reno's mouth and his head instinctively tilted up. Their noses touched. 

"Someone's feeling bold, I see." Reno joked, interlocking their fingers. He tilted his head down some, staring at Cloud's softly parted lips. Anxiety, cold as ice, shot through his veins when the gap between them finally closed. It melted away as quickly as it came when he felt Cloud's lips move against his, slow and unsure, but sweet nonetheless. Reno pulled away from Cloud momentarily to sit up and pull the other with him, so they sat facing one another. He cupped Cloud's face in his hands and kissed him again, a little more urgent than before. To Reno, kissing the ex-soldier was heaven on Midgar, and it was his to have. He wanted to sit there, lips never leaving Cloud's for the rest of his life. Soft lips worked against him, more confident than before, but still nervous. He had his hands on his lap, balled into fists. Reno dropped his hands from Cloud's face to hold his hands, prying his fists open and lacing their fingers together. They were pieces of a puzzle, their hands were, and they fit together oh-so-perfectly. Reno felt his heart flutter when Cloud softly squeezed his hands. 

Cloud hated having to breathe, but just at this moment. He pulled back, getting almost dizzy from kissing Reno, with another one of his soft smiles. He panted slightly and tried to catch his breath, and once it was caught he kissed Reno with full force. He heard a surprised noise from the other man, and he internalized a giggle. When he leaned back to lay on the couch, he pulled Reno with and on top of him. When they stopped kissing for the last time, Reno settled on Cloud's chest. Cloud took his ponytail out, letting the sheet of red hair flow over his side. He turned his attention to braiding it in small sections, as Reno listened to the ex-soldier's heartbeat while his eyes fluttered shut. 


End file.
